Category Archives: Polo

Wellington, Florida – April 5, 2015 – Coca-Cola defeated Valiente 12-11 in overtime Sunday in the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship on Engel & Völkers field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Sugar Erskine was named MVP, and Best-Playing Pony went to Renato, played by Pelon Stirling. Earlier in the day, Las Monjitas defeated Orchard Hill 14-13.

If there is one axiom that has emerged from this year’s 26-goal season at IPC, it is this: Never underestimate Coca-Cola.

As it has done time and time again, the team pulled a rabbit out of its hat Sunday. Just when it looked like Coca-Cola was about to lose to Valiente by a point, Sugar Erskine – ever the wild card – smacked in a goal, tying the game 12-all in the last microsecond (literally) of regulation play.

Then to top it off, along came the day’s high-scorer, Julio Arellano, whose seventh goal sealed the deal in overtime for the team in red.

Chance turned out to be the hallmark of the game, and Coca-Cola capitalized on it at every opportunity. “It was amazing the way we tied it up in the last chukker with .001 left,” said a stunned 10-goaler Pelon Stirling. “We took a chance, and we had it. Then we took a chance in OT, and again! It was a very good win for us. It’s looking good.”

Despite its undefeated record in the 111th Open, Coca-Cola seemed to have taken even itself by a bit of surprise Sunday. “We knew it was going to be extremely tough because they have an all-pro team,” said Arellano. “We were able to keep them close the whole time, and then it’s anybody’s game.”

Indeed, the celebration could just as easily have ended up in Valiente’s tent, as it has so many times before. But Arellano’s troupe refused to stop tap dancing until the last note of music lilted away into the ether. In polo’s version of the “hail Mary pass” made famous in the 1975 NFL playoffs, Arellano, in a leap of faith, hurtled the ball downfield to a waiting Gillian Johnston. “I knew I had to get the ball there fast because I would have only one chance,” said Arellano.

Ditto for Johnston, who took the pass and went to town with one of her trademark slapstick dashes toward goal. Things were looking golden for Coca-Cola, but just yards from the goalmouth the ball went wonky and pulled loose, triggering a free-for-all and drawing a screeching whistle. Having already used its second-half challenge, Valiente could not contest the foul.

Arellano and Pelon Stirling painstakingly teed up the ball as they stared down, methodically circling it like a hawk hovering over prey. Then they looked up and locked eyes. Stirling moved away, leaving Arellano to finish the job.

Although Coca-Cola got the win, it didn’t get there the way it had envisioned. In a departure from its game plan in previous matches, the day’s strategy was for her teammates to feed the ball to Johnston, the indomitable winner of the 2002 U.S. Open. But as the saying goes, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

“We spoke about doing something different, but we didn’t do anything like what we spoke about,” said Erskine. “We were going to push Gillian all day, and for some reason we never got her the ball. Finally she got the chance to put in the winning goal, and that was sort of the idea, but things just didn’t go that way.”

To her credit, Johnston sunk an astounding goal in the pivotal sixth chukker, which saw a lot of play through midfield. Erskine had battled the ball out of a scuffle and handed it over to Stirling, who, with the precision of a Swiss timepiece, sent it sailing downfield with a power hit to Johnston. With just under three minutes on the clock, she tied the game 10-all.

Matching its strong performance in the fifth chukker, Valiente kept rocking in the sixth, again answering every Coca-Cola goal. Alejo Taranco pulled Valiente into a slim lead, and from there the score followed a breathtaking back-and-forth trajectory all the way to the final horn.

Taranco’s tie-breaking goal sprouted from a bouquet of three: him, Sapo Caset and Tommy Beresford. After winning the knock-in, Caset initiated a long trek toward goal. He and Guillermo Terrera kept swapping the ball, playing an extended game of cat and mouse with Erskine, who was all over them. As they soon discovered, that was a dangerous game to play with an opponent as stealthy as Erskine. He drew gasps from the Valiente contingent on the sidelines more than once when he stole the ball, only to have the Caset-Terrera force swipe it right back.

At one point, Valiente played an effective mind game with Coca-Cola, as 10-goaler Caset took out the defender to allow 2-goaler Tommy Beresford to run with the play. Eighteen-year-old Beresford, who had subbed in and was playing the first full 26-goal game of his life, did his job handily. He escorted the ball toward goal, handing it over to Taranco at the perfect moment. Backed up nicely by his teammates, Taranco put it in.

All in all the game was a commendable effort by Valiente, which showed its mettle against all odds. Last week, when half of the team (Adolfo Cambiaso and Bob Jornayvaz) had to be subbed out due to injuries, Caset commented, “It’s like a totally new team” – never an easy form to morph into, particularly smack in the midst of the most prestigious tournament of the season

Las Monjitas Pulls Off 14-13 Upset

Las Monjitas defeated Orchard Hill 14-13 in bracket play at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Las Monjitas took on Orchard Hill in a game that was seemingly a David and Goliath story. Orchard Hill, a favorite due to their recent stellar performances and the advantage of having not one but two Pieres, started out the game strongly, but ultimately Las Monjitas created a hot streak that was unstoppable, even for the mighty Orchard Hill squad.

Facundo Pieres and Eduardo Astrada

The sixth chukker was dominated by Las Monjitas from start to finish, with Sola chalking up three goals to overtake Orchard Hill 13-12. After a throw-in resulting from a buried ball, Astrada rocketed towards the goal to score. In the final minute of the match, Facundo Pieres scored but it was too little, too late. Astrada rode toward the end zone with both arms raised while the match was still going, celebrating the upset and reveling in the cheers from the Las Monjitas camp. The final score was 14-13. The joy from the entire Las Monjitas team, family members and staff was audible as cheers erupted and the team members made their way back to their tent, stopping to receive congratulations from their supporters.

Astrada credited the team’s performance in specific parts of the match for their win.

“I think we played very well in the first chukker and in the fifth and sixth chukker,” said Astrada. “We played really well like we have to play, and how we can play.”

Merlos felt like this was a turnaround from the rest of the season for Las Monjitas.

“It was the opposite of what has been happening the whole season for us,” said Merlos.

The Pieres cousins immediately went to work at the start of the game with Facundo Pieres shooting a pass to Polito Pieres, who tapped it in for a goal in his signature style. A penalty one in the next play gave Orchard Hill a 2-0 lead briefly, but Facundo Sola completed a penalty conversion to put Las Monjitas on the board. A penalty two from point blank range by Facundo Pieres ended the first chukker 3-1.

Eduardo Astrada started out the second chukker with a bang, making a backshot that went wide of the goal by inches. The tension continued to mount as Polito Pieres and Astrada continued in very physical rideoffs, making big bumps in an effort to keep the other out of the play. Sola, whose penalty conversions would be key to the Las Monjitas effort, converted with a lofted shot to bring Las Monjitas within one, but two subsequent penalty conversions by Facundo Pieres pulled Orchard Hill back into the lead 5-2. A goal by Ezequiel Ferrario gave Orchard Hill a solid lead heading into the third chukker.

Penalty shots continued to have a strong effect on the match as Sola converted two penalties to make the score 6-4. In the next play, Sola won the ball out of the throw-in and made a long pass to Astrada, who scored Las Monjitas’ first goal from the field. Polito Pieres proved just how handy he and his horses are by turning the ball, running and firing off a shot in mere seconds to make the score 7-5 at the half.

The second half proved to be just as physical as the first, with Las Monjitas working to slow down the Orchard Hill speed game. A conversion by Facundo Pieres gave Orchard Hill a three point lead, but Las Monjitas fired back with a goal by Sola, whose powerful performance thus far this season has many wondering if his rating of eight goals will remain after the season ends. Facundo Pieres fired out of the throw-in to score, momentarily giving both Facundos the same stats of four penalty goals and one goal from the field for a total of five goals each. Each Facundo racked up another goal before the fourth chukker ended, making the score 10-7. Leaping out of the throw-in for a breakaway, Polito Pieres drove in a goal and solidified the Orchard Hill lead 11-7 at the end of the fourth chukker.

The fifth chukker brought a shift in momentum as Las Monjitas continued to battle it out with Orchard Hill. Astrada popped the ball up into the air before hitting it to Sebastian Merlos, who sealed the deal and made the score 11-8. Goal attempts on both sides went wide before Facundo Pieres decided to take matters into his own hands and run a goal in. Two more penalty conversions by Sola brought Las Monjitas within two points of Orchard Hill, turning the tide of the game in their favor before the end of the fifth chukker.

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, Florida – April 4, 2015 – In another exciting overtime match in the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), FlexJet defeated defending U.S. Open champion Alegria 11-10 in bracket play Saturday. It was the fourth game that was tied at the end of regulation play since the tournament began just a week ago.

In a game with more moving parts than a pinball machine, FlexJet and Alegria swarmed up and down the field, mesmerizing spectators with some of the slickest moves ever in U.S. Open Polo Championship play.

Victorious FlexJet got off to a deceptively slow start, however, making a single goal in the first chukker and none in the second. Its first point came from the mighty Miguel Astrada, the high scorer of the game with seven goals. At the start of the third chukker Alegria was leading by five points (one of them an automatic goal from a penalty one), with each of its players having contributed at least one goal.

Then something awakened the sleeping giant. FlexJet suddenly scored three points and stopped Alegria in its tracks, keeping its opponent scoreless in the chukker. Once FlexJet kicked into gear, it shot ahead with the bone-rattling force of the Formula Rossa roller coaster in Abu Dhabi. More often than not the acceleration came from the double-duty machine known as Nic Roldan, who can (and did) play defense in one stride and offense in the next – all without missing a beat.

Roldan, who made three goals, all from the field (including the winning one in OT), demonstrated a repertoire of stunningly effective moves. He made a habit of snatching the ball just as it was about to be swallowed up by the looming jaws of Alegria’s goalmouth. Then he’d swivel and streak down the field with it in the opposite direction, three or four black jerseys scrambling after him. More often than not, the numbers on the scoreboard changed, either the result of a direct delivery from Roldan’s mallet or a handoff from him to one of his teammates. Roldan’s three-way passing game with Astrada and Laprida was the hallmark of the game.

FlexJet remained hungry in the second half, systematically tightening Alegria’s lead. Astrada, a master tactician, was a major factor in his team’s progress. In addition to being a scoring machine, he subtly controlled the game from the back – hence his moniker, “The Hypnotist.” Astrada earned that calling card from his propensity to lull his opponents into a false sense of security in the first half and blindside them in the second. He played a game of sneaky stick in the fifth chukker, faking everyone out with what looked like a sure-fire backshot in the making. Getting his opponents to look down the field in anticipation, he sent the ball in the other direction to Laprida before they could do anything about it.

A smooth-as-silk play among all four FlexJet players brought the score to 8-all at the end of the fifth chukker. Astrada and Hilario Ulloa, who also played a strong game, each made two goals in the sixth. Roldan had the last word in overtime, giving FlexJet an 11-10 win.

“We had a system; we stuck to it, and we just kept fighting,” said Roldan, who, when he was 15, became the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final and still holds that distinction today. “We knew it was going to be super tough today. They won the Open before, and they’re one of the top teams out there.”

With a nod toward his teammates, he said, “It’s been amazing to play with these guys – Magoo and Miguel are amazing, and Melissa played great – she got a lot of important fouls. Everyone did their job, and that’s the way to win, along with a little bit of luck and pushing through. Today was our day. We’re happy to have won, and now we’ve got a big one coming up on Wednesday.”

That’s the thing about gladiators like the FlexJet squad – they’re already “playing” the next game when lesser athletes would still be relishing the win. Astrada hadn’t even taken off his boots when Mark Ganzi handed him a piece of paper with handwritten numbers and notations scrawled on it. While he was intensely studying the stats, a little boy walked up to Astrada, gingerly carrying a polo ball and a marker pen. Astrada looked up and smiled. He signed the ball and passed it on to the other FlexJet players, who did likewise. A lighter vibe wafted through the tent, and then it was time to refocus and analyze what had gone down on the field. What worked? How did they win?

“I don’t know, really!” said Laprida with a good-natured laugh. “It was a really tough game. We were down by five, and it looked like it was going to be tough for us, and it was tough, but we just kept fighting. When we get fighting that’s how we give ourselves a chance.”

Melissa Ganzi, who said she credited Astrada’s leadership for the win, added that she “couldn’t have been happier with my horses and the whole team effort.”

In Astrada’s view, “We had a pretty slow start, but then we were able to turn it around (thanks to) Juan Bollini and Marc Ganzi. From the outside they helped us come out and change the plan. We went chukker by chukker, doing our plan, and it really worked,” he said.

Before the shift in strategy, he said the team had been “rushing a little bit with the ball, and then at one point we were trying to tap it too much. So we had to get a balance between that and also had to get one player more in the back. We figured out we had to start it from the back, and we got a little bit more defense and had more patience with the ball. That was the key.”

Audi Rockets Past Lechuza Caracas, 10-7

Audi defeated Lechuza Caracas 10-7 in bracket play for the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Agustin Garcia Grossi, Nico Pieres and Rodrigo Andrade

In a match that was as much a game of wits as a game of skill, it was Audi’s keen sense of strategy that put the team on top. The match leapt into full throttle from the start. Agustin Garcia Grossi made the first goal for Lechuza Caracas with a shot along the ground under pressure from Audi defenders. Audi immediately rallied back with a penalty conversion to tie the score 1-1 for the remainder of the first chukker.

The second chukker started out with the name Pieres frequently being called out by long-time IPC announcer Tony Coppola. A penalty conversion by the steady-handed Gonzalito Pieres put Audi in the lead momentarily, but brother Nico Pieres had other ideas, tapping in a goal at the last second from a run. Grossi picked the pocket of Rodrigo Andrade and took off into a breakaway to tie the score once again at 3-3.

Andrade came back with a vengeance, making an assist to Gonzalito Pieres for a goal and then racking up a goal of his own, creating the first two-goal lead of the game. However, neither team could get comfortable in a match where players circled like sharks, waiting for an opportunity. Juan Martin Nero proved just that, driving in two unanswered goals. Nico Pieres took the ball from coast to coast, driving it from one end of the field to the other to score and take back the lead for Lechuza Caracas at the half.

Andrade earned the nickname “Brazilian ace” from Coppola at the start of the second half, outmaneuvering Nico Pieres for a goal and then launching a spectacular 80-plus yard shot to score. The match continued at a wide-open pace, with Victor Vargas making a strong run to goal and then sinking a sharp cut-shot to tie the score 7-7 at the end of the fourth chukker.

The fifth chukker was stop-and-start for the first minute, with several whistles on plays. Gonzalito Pieres, always steady under pressure and Audi’s clutch hitter from the penalty line, sank a penalty conversion to pull ahead. Audi continued to dig in with another goal from Gonzalito Pieres, making the score 9-7. Fred Mannix made a huge lofted shot from a center hit to drop the ball down for Marc Ganzi to tap in and cement Audi’s lead going into the sixth chukker.

The game was on the line in the sixth chukker, and Audi stepped up to the plate. In a scoreless chukker, they were on top of the ball. Lechuza Caracas worked hard to overcome its three-point deficit, but to no avail. The match ended in regulation time 10-7.

Mannix felt like all the pieces came together for this win.

“I think everyone’s getting in the perfect rhythm at the right time, and the horses are performing,” said Mannix. “This is what happens when you design a team with everyone in the right positions.”

Gonzalito Pieres credited a change in strategy for Audi’s win, saying, “In the beginning, we were too committed to offense and suddenly we were giving breakaways to them. We decided to be more man-on-man and turning fast for our backshots. We started hitting good backshots and making runs.”

Ganzi said hard work and strategy culminated in today’s important win. “This week we went back to work,” he said. “We worked on a few things, looked at a lot of tape, and really felt like we had to get back to the way we were playing at the end of the Gold Cup. We went back to basic polo, which was sort of ‘Own the man first, and the ball will be there for you.'”

Play in the U.S. Open Polo Championship continues Sunday at IPC, with Orchard Hill playing Las Monjitas at 10 a.m. The featured match pits Valiente against Coca-Cola at 3 p.m. on Engel & Völkers field.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, Florida – April 1, 2015 – Valiente defeated Las Monjitas 13-12 in overtime Wednesday at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) in bracket play for the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship. It was the first time in the 2015 season that the two teams have played each other, and both had been defeated in their previous game in the tournament.

There’s always a big question mark hovering over the field when Adolfo Cambiaso doesn’t play for Valiente, as has happened a few times this season. Can Valiente pull it off without the maestro in charge on the field?

Sapo Caset, with the assistance of his teammates, put that question to rest in Wednesday’s match against La Monjitas. While there is only one Adolfo Cambiaso out there, Caset did a mighty job of filling his boots. Riding in the 10-goaler seat for a second consecutive game, Caset carried Valiente to victory, socking in the winning goal in overtime (to cap off his previous four).

Caset wasn’t the only Valiente player who had to step up to the plate. The other was a gob smacked Tommy Beresford, who was thrown into the mix Wednesday as abruptly as Caset had been in last week’s match. As the third chukker was about to begin, the young British player found himself being hoisted onto one of Bob Jornayvaz’ horses and pointed toward the field. Team captain Jornayvaz had injured his tailbone but rode it out through the second chukker. He gave Beresford a vote of confidence during the break, and then out on the field appeared a tall, lanky player sporting a blue jersey with a number five on his back (in deference to Jornayvaz, who had been wearing the number one jersey). If you weren’t hip to the backstory, it might have appeared to be an April Fool’s prank: a 26-goal polo team playing positions two, three, four – and five?

But this was no joke, particularly to Beresford. “I was a bit nervous. This was my first 26-goal game!” he said afterward, leaning on his chair and looking at the ground as though trying to fathom what had just happened. Although he had played a couple of practices with the Valiente squad, the 18-year-old said he didn’t feel he played “quite up to scratch today – but we got the win.”

Indeed they did, and Beresford was a big part of it, contributing a goal of his own in the sixth chukker. Guillermo Terrera promptly added another for Valiente. Caset followed up in his typical clutch player fashion, making not one but two golden goals: the one that tied the game at 12-all at the end of the sixth chukker, and the next on an assist from Terrera, which won the game in overtime.

It was a painful outcome for Las Monjitas, a powerhouse that also lost its last U.S. Open match against Coca-Cola by a single point. Just as it had Saturday, Las Monjitas held its own all the way through the game against Valiente, even keeping its opponent scoreless in the second chukker.

Facundo Sola was a force of nature for Las Monjitas, scoring 10 of his team’s 12 goals by way of making two goals in every chukker except the sixth. Sola injected a high-voltage direct current into the game as he swarmed the field nonstop. When he wasn’t scoring, he was pouring the pressure on any blue jersey within his wingspan. He consistently converted his penalty shots. At the top of the third chukker he made back-to-back goals, the first on a penalty four and the next on a run down the field with Caset on his tail, both going mach-nine hair-on-fire.

The game was tied 6-6 at halftime, and the score continued to zing back and forth between a tie and a one- or two-point spread. In a repeat performance from the first chukker, Caset made his mark in the fourth by catapulting another pass from the 150-yard line to Taranco, who had pulled out ahead and was patiently waiting downfield. Exactly where he needed to be, Taranco jumped on the play and was off and running with the ball, taking it straight into goal.

The fifth chukker opened at 8-all, but Las Monjitas soon moved into a two-point lead. Eduardo Astrada put his stamp on the sixth chukker, scoring from the field while shaking off intense pressure from Caset. Astrada, who seems to thrive on pressure scenarios, calmly paddled the ball downfield and made three smooth hits, the third one sending the ball cruising into goal. Beresford, Terrera and Caset made the next three goals in quick succession, tying the game 12-12 at the end of regulation play.

In overtime, Sola looked like he had it made for Las Monjitas, taking his time with the ball until he found a window and shot. But Beresford pounced on the ball and bought some room for Terrera, who passed it to Caset for the winning goal.

Of the five U.S. Open matches played to date at IPC this season, this was the third that went into overtime. As one spectator said of the exciting play, “It’s like every game is a final.”

Caset said Valiente was like “a totally new team,” given that half of its lineup had suddenly changed and that Beresford came in in the middle of the game. In a nod to Las Monjitas, Caset said he felt that the play had been fairly evenly matched, although he remained confident throughout that Valiente would prevail. “I never thought for a moment that we would lose.”

Terrera, with a bit of frustration, said, “We wanted to play our game, but we couldn’t because they kept trying to slow it down. So we said, ‘Whatever it takes, let’s do it.’ Luck was on our side” – and so was Cambiaso, who remained a guiding force from the ground.

Goose Creek defeated Tackeria 14-13 on Tuesday, March 31, at IPC. Goose Creek will oppose Valiente in the Patriot Cup Final at IPC on Friday, April 3, at 4 p.m., preceded by the Heroes Cup subsidiary at 10 a.m.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL – March 29, 2015 – The U.S. Open Polo Championship continued in full force Sunday, with an exciting triple play at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. In all three games, a single point dictated the outcome, and two games went into overtime.

In the featured match on Engel & Völkers field, Lechuza Caracas defeated Alegria Assist Card 13-12 in overtime. Agustin Garcia Grossi was named Most Valuable Player. Hilario Ulloa’s mount in the second and sixth chukkers, Clave, was Best Playing Pony.

Earlier in the day, Orchard Hill took a 15-14 overtime victory over Valiente, and Audi defeated FlexJet 11-10.

For a winning team, polo is a game played as much in the head as it is on the field. Lechuza Caracas put that principle into action Sunday when it stared down the mighty Alegria Assist Card team, defending champion of the U.S. Open. Taking a gamble (and a leap of faith) that paid off in spades, Lechuza Caracas won by hedging its bets on a strategic move: scrambling the lineup.

That move has worked at times for other teams, but it is risky business. Just ask Agustin Garcia Grossi. “We’re lucky we scored the last goal,” he said moments after he made the hit that broke the 12-12 tie in overtime.

Granted, Lady Luck is always hovering over the polo field, but Sunday another intangible force was at work. Playing a mind game as much as an athletic one, the Lechuza Caracas squadron took out its opponent by turning polo into a shell game. The question of the day was: Is that Nico Pieres or Agustin Garcia Grossi under those Foster Grants?

In an eleventh-hour switcheroo that had even the announcers guessing for a bit, Lechuza Caracas swapped the positions of two of its key players. The decision was made so shortly before the start of the game that the program and the scoreboard still showed them in their old positions. But Pieres, who usually plays number two, was wearing the number three jersey, and Grossi, the team’s steadfast number three, was sporting a two on his back.

The reason became evident soon enough. Pieres was all over the ball, the field and the scoreboard from start to finish. The high-scorer of the game with nine goals, he was omnipresent throughout the match, scoring at least one point (and sometimes three) in every chukker of regulation play. Almost without exception, his success was facilitated by Grossi, who made it his perpetual mission to mow a path for Pieres to carry the ball through.

Why did this strategy work better than the original formula, when Pieres was playing number two and Garcia number three?

“The change of positions helped us a lot because we can send Flaco (Grossi) forward. He’s more powerful than me,” said Pieres. “Then I could work with the ball more, and I’m a bit better at that.”

The impetus for the change, said the two, was the team’s disappointment over its record this season in 26-goal play. “We changed the lineup because we didn’t do so well in the last tournament,” said Grossi, referring to the USPA Piaget Gold Cup. Lechuza Caracas had one win and three losses in that tournament and was knocked out of contention in the quarterfinals.

There were no signs of the past in Sunday’s game. Lechuza Caracas came onto the field with the eye of the tiger. At every possible opportunity, one or another of its players pounced upon the ball as though it were live prey. Alegria Assist Card showed a similar resolve, but it seemed to be tinged with a touch of uncertainty about how to thwart the newly invigorated and restructured Lechuza Caracas band of brothers.

Pieres, who scored the first field goal, stormed onto the field with a steely-eyed look that could knock the breath out of an elephant. With consummate speed and power – and with Grossi running interference – he cut to the center and outran a herd of defenders to tie the game at 1-all. That set the tone for the rest of the game. Pieres and Grossi melded into a tag team, keeping Alegria scoreless in the second chukker and bringing Lechuza Caracas into the lead for the first time in the third chukker. Picking up a long pass downfield from Pieres, Grossi made a supremely confident cutshot that rolled the ball in within inches of the goalpost, moving Lechuza Caracas into a 5-4 lead.

Alegria Assist Card retook the lead courtesy of Hilario Ulloa, who scored on a penalty shot. Moments before, Mariano Aguerre had sent a centering shot to Ulloa, which drew a whistle, and a foul was called in favor of Alegria Assist Card. In what seemed on its face a curious move (but turned out not to be), Alegria Assist Card challenged the call on ball placement. Had it been successful, the challenge would have changed the penalty two to a penalty one (an automatic goal for Alegria Assist Card). The call stood, and Ulloa scored on the penalty two, giving Alegria a 6-5 lead at the end of the first half.

The pace picked up decidedly in the second half. Taking the ball on the nearside, Sterling Giannini worked the room with finesse, zigzagging like mad to get past the defenders and deliver the ball to Ulloa. With a burst of speed, Ulloa ran it into goal, giving Alegria Assist Card a two-point lead. Juan Martin Nero, the only 10-goaler on the field, outran Julian Mannix and sent a slick pass to Pieres, who rode his speed stick toward goal and swatted in a pinpoint shot. Pieres followed up his own act in the fifth chukker, making three goals (two of them from the field).

In Ping-Pong fashion, the score swapped back and forth between a tie and a one-point lead for most of the sixth chukker. At a pivotal juncture, a Pieres play drew a whistle smack in front of Alegria’s goalmouth, resulting in a penalty one for Alegria. Lechuza Caracas unsuccessfully challenged the automatic goal.

With just 47 seconds left in regulation play, a penalty three was moved to a penalty two in favor of Alegria Assist Card. Ulloa took the shot and tied the game at 12-all, sending it into overtime. The seventh chukker went on for an excruciating two-and-a-half minutes until Grossi sealed the deal for Lechuza Caracas.

Nero said he felt there was more to his team’s win than its lineup change. Although he agreed that the Pieres-Grossi swap-out had been helpful, he also pointed to Lechuza Caracas’ intense preparation during the previous week. Even more crucial, he said, was Sunday’s outstanding performance by the team’s captain, Victor Vargas, who played his normal number one position.

“Today the key was Victor,” said Nero. “He made a big difference. They couldn’t pass him. He kept them away so we could score.”

Orchard Hill Overcomes Valiente 15-14 in a Game of Endurance

The highly anticipated show down between 10-goalers Adolfo Cambiaso (Valiente) and Facundo Pieres (Orchard Hill) came to an abrupt end 35 seconds into the first U.S. Open match for both teams when Cambiaso retired from the match with a hip injury. Sapo Caset, also rated 10 goals, replaced Cambiaso and performed admirably in his understudy role, challenging Facundo and galvanizing Valiente to a sixth chukker comeback to force overtime, but after all the delays, lineup changes, lead changes and injuries, Orchard Hill prevailed 15-14 over Valiente.

Sapo Caset and Facundo Pieres

“That was the longest game I have ever played!” declared a weary Steve van Andel after the match. “That was a tough game. It was back and forth; they did a good job staying on us.”

When asked about the substitution of Caset for the injured Cambiaso, Facundo Pieres commented, “It was a bit of a change, but we know how they play. They played without so much pressure, which I think helped them, especially Alejo and Terrera, and they complicated us. With all the delays we couldn’t play the game we wanted, but we are happy we won.”

There was a long delay at the start of the match while the injured Cambiaso determined if he could play or not, the delay and roster change for Valiente seemed to throw both teams off their rhythm in the first two chukkers. Caset and Facundo Pieres dueled it out from the penalty line, Caset even converting a 90-yard penalty five which is a rare feat in polo, but the goals came slow for both teams and the score was only 4- 3 in favor of Valiente after the second chukker. Play opened up in the third chukker as the Valiente team started to click with Caset. Guillermo Terrera tallied a pair of field goals for Valiente, and Bob Jornayvaz added another when he anticipated a broken play near goal. Orchard Hill countered with field goals from Polito Pieres and Ezequiel Ferrario sandwiched around another penalty four conversion by Facundo.

Orchard Hill erased the Valiente lead in the fourth chukker behind two more penalty four conversions from Facundo Pieres. Some strong blocking from the Orchard Hill players led to a splendid run by Facundo on a blaze faced chestnut. Valiente held steady with two goals, the teams entered the fifth chukker tied at 9-all.

The fifth chukker was all Orchard Hill. Facundo Pieres continued his sharp shooting success from the 60-yard line on penalty fours and cousin Polito chimed in with a gutsy field goal through traffic. Play was held up again when Alejo Taranco hit the ground after a collision, but Orchard Hill kept the momentum rolling to finish out the chukker in the lead 12-9.

Valiente showed determination in the face of adversity in the sixth, relentlessly driving the ball down field and forcing Orchard Hill into a penalty one situation. After Valiente was awarded the automatic goal on the penalty one, Caset stole the ball on the ensuing throw in and quickly turned and fired to bring Valiente within one goal of the lead. Facundo Pieres countered with his seventh penalty four conversion of the game, but Caset rose to the occasion and scored two more penalty goals to send the game to sudden death overtime with the score tied at 14 all.

The Orchard Hill team won the first bowl in, delivered the ball and a horse length’s head start to Facundo Pieres. He did what he does better than anyone in the world and ran the ball down field to goal for the win.

“Fortunately we squeaked through in the end!” said a relieved van Andel post match. Orchard Hill will take a 1-0 record into their next U.S. Open match against Las Monjitas on Sunday April 5 at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Facundo Pieres was already thinking about the next match. “It was so important to win the first game of the Open; now we prepare to play our game for the next match.”

Audi Speeds Past FlexJet 11-10

Grant Ganzi and Rodrigo Andrade

Audi defeated FlexJet 11-10 in bracket play in the U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The match pit Marc Ganzi of the Audi team, last week’s victors of the Piaget Gold Cup, against his son, Grant Ganzi, each rated one-goal.

Both teams came out swinging, with goal attempts going wide for Audi and FlexJet. A penalty conversion by Miguel Astrada put FlexJet on the board with the first goal of the match. A neckshot by Gonzalito Pieres evened out the score. Rodrigo Andrade quickly drilled a long shot along the ground to put Audi in the lead. Tough, quick play ensued by both teams, which would characterize the play throughout the match.

In the second chukker, FlexJet fired back with a stolen ball by Nic Roldan breaking up an Audi play, and Astrada capitalized on it. He flipped in a goal under pressure and made the score 2-all. Pieres, always the cool customer, picked the ball from Astrada and drove a goal in to put Audi back in the lead. Roldan and Astrada teamed up, showing off their excellent passing game with supreme confidence, resulting in a goal by Astrada.

Roldan followed up with another assist, this time to Laprida, putting FlexJet ahead by one. Fred Mannix kicked it into high gear and dribbled the ball into the goalmouth, with Andrade backing him up to make the goal. Roldan fired off a signature long pass for Laprida who scored another goal for FlexJet, making the score 5-4 at the end of the second chukker.

After some fierce play at the top of the third chukker, a penalty conversion by Pieres tied the score 5-5. FlexJet quickly racked up two more goals in an effort to solidify their lead before the end of the half. Pieres rocketed out of the throw-in with a score that brought Audi within one at the end of the third chukker.

Audi revved it up in the third chukker, starting out strong with a goal by Andrade on the run. Another penalty conversion by Pieres made the score 8-7. An incredible team play by FlexJet culminated in a goal, tying the score 8-8. Intense play for the remainder of the fourth chukker had spectators guessing what the outcome of each play would be.

The fifth chukker was scoreless for the first few minutes, and it was Mannix who broke the dry spell with a near side back shot and a score for Audi. A penalty in favor of FlexJet was challenged by Audi. Each team is allowed one opportunity to challenge a call. The team may use at any time during the game to disagree with a call and ask for an instant replay. The game is stopped and the disputed play is evaluated by the instant replay judge, who makes the final decision. If the team wins its challenge, they are allowed to keep their one challenge in the game. If it loses, they are not allowed a challenge for the remainder of the game. In this case, the call was overturned and Audi retained their ability to challenge.

Roldan kicked off the sixth chukker blazing to the goal, but his attempt went wide. Laprida made a run in the next play, flipping the ball to Roldan who succeeded in this attempt and tied up the match 9-9. A penalty in favor of Audi was challenged by FlexJet but upheld, resulting in a conversion by Pieres. FlexJet continued to fight for the win, with Laprida dodging defenders to drive in a goal and tie the score with just minutes remaining. Audi responded quickly, putting the final goal in with 18 seconds before the final horn.

Both Pieres and Marc Ganzi agreed that the game was an incredibly important match for them to win, especially after their tournament win in the Piaget Gold Cup.

“Always, the first game after winning is tough because, unfortunately, you’re more relaxed and the other teams are more afraid of you, and they go for it with everything,” said Pieres.

“We knew we had to win today. It’s the first game of the [US] Open. You’ve got to go all in,” said Ganzi.

Play in the U.S. Open Polo Championship continues on Wednesday, April 1 with Valiente taking on Las Monjitas at 4 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL – March 28, 2015 – Coca-Cola defeated Las Monjitas 9-8 in the final seconds of the opening match of the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).

In a match fraught with tension, Coca-Cola fought nonstop for the win. Arellano, a steady hand in the Coca-Cola backfield, slammed in the game-winning goal just seconds before the final horn. It was a highly physical game throughout, with ride-off after ride-off dominated by Astrada and Arellano. All the while, Stirling’s cool, calm and collected hand on the reins kept Coca-Cola’s eyes on the prize.

Both teams leapt into action from the get-go with fast and even play that characterized the entire game. When a penalty three defended shot was called in favor of Coca-Cola, Las Monjitas seized the opportunity. Eduardo Astrada blocked the shot and took it out of the Coca-Cola goalmouth, shooting a pass to Sebastian Merlos. Merlos took the ball downfield and sent a pass to Astrada, who maneuvered the ball through two Coca-Cola defenders to score.

After heavy defensive plays by Coca-Cola and some wide shots by Las Monjitas, Julio Arellano – the high-scorer of the game with seven goals – evened the score 1-1 at the end the first chukker. Pelon Stirling struck like lightning out of the first throw-in of the second chukker, driving a goal in within the first 25 seconds. A penalty conversion by Facundo Sola tied the score again.

Astrada and Sola teamed up for Sola to tap in a goal, giving Las Monjitas a momentary lead. Arellano, a consummate gamesman, shot a pass to Sugar Erskine, who scored, retying the score. In the next play, Sola wove his way through traffic to regain the lead for Las Monjitas at the end of the second chukker.

Sugar Erskine, Sebastian Merlos and Julio Arellano

A penalty conversion by Arellano tied the score 4-4 at the top of to the third chukker. Power plays by both teams had spectators on the edge of their seats as both teams continually fought for control of the ball. A penalty conversion by Arellano gave Coca-Cola the lead for the first time in the game. Astrada and Sola once again demonstrated their passing game, resulting in another goal for Las Monjitas. A wide penalty shot by Stirling kept the score tied going into the second half.

A string of wide shots at the start of the fourth chukker had everyone guessing as to who would be the first to score. Astrada ended up the winner, stealing the ball from Stirling to tap in a goal and make the score 6-5. Wide shots continued to plague Coca-Cola, which was scoreless in the fourth chukker. Arellano broke that streak in the next chukker, accelerating into breakaways and dodging defenders to make two consecutive goals.

With that, Coca-Cola took charge of the game, opening up the pace and making numerous attempts on goal. A turning penalty in favor of Coca-Cola was overturned after a challenge by Las Monjitas. A conversion by Arellano put Coca-Cola back in a one-point lead at the end of the fifth chukker.

Arellano took a Coca-Cola knock-in, bringing the ball back into play and sending it downfield to Stirling, who snatched it out of the air. Stirling sent the ball along to speed demon Gillian Johnston, who took it to the goalmouth. Arellano backed her up and tapped the ball in, shifting Coca-Cola into a two-point lead. Sola responded with a goal on a nearside neckshot.

Las Monjitas won yet another challenge. Sola took off and scored out of the throw-in, tying the score 8-8. Then a center hit penalty call was challenged by both teams (one on the validity of the call and the other on ball placement) but was upheld. Coca-Cola jumped on an opportunity and ran the ball through traffic. Arellano scored the game-winning goal with 29 seconds left in regulation play.

Arellano was excited and grateful about Coca-Cola’s victory. “I’m glad we were able to pull it off because a lot of times you can’t,” he said. “In the last two chukkers, Pelon said, ‘Let’s open it up’ – and it worked.”

Erskine also credited Stirling with ruling the outcome. “Pelon controlled the whole game all by himself from the back. That’s what made the difference,” he said. “We had to play a lot of defense. We knew the game was going to be like that. They played a very controlled game, so we didn’t get to run up and down the field the way we usually do.”

Stirling agreed that stepping up the pace led to Coca-Cola’s victory.

“The way we’ve been playing this season is more open polo,” he said. “During halftime I decided to tell the boys that we were kind of playing their game, and I think that made the difference in the last two chukkers. We managed to run a little bit more and get those last two plays, which gave us an advantage.”

The U.S. Open continues Sunday, March 29 with three games at IPC. Audi opposes FlexJet at 10 a.m., followed by Orchard Hill vs. Valiente at noon. Lechuza Caracas plays Alegria Assist Card in the featured match at 3 p.m. on Engel & Völkers field.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL, March 22, 2015 – From a Published Press Release – Casablanca scored the winning goal in the final two minutes to defeat Grand Champions, 3-2, to capture the Polo Training Foundation March Challenge on Monday at Everglades Polo Club.

Three teams of highly-skilled junior polo players competed in the two-hour event.

“My dad had bought her as a 4-year-old and didn’t get along with her at all,” Arellano said of his father, Julio, a top American player and member of Coca-Cola’s pro team. “He let me play her a little bit and I loved her. I ended up buying her from him. She’s turned out to be my best horse.”

Arellano enjoyed playing with and against his friends.

“It’s so much fun to play against other players your age and to challenge yourself at this level,” Arellano said. “This is so fast; everyone is just running and having fun. It’s great.

“The PTF is awesome; this is what has brought me to the level I am today,” Arellano said. “It’s just amazing. They do such a good job getting all the kids out here to play.”

McLean, 14, an out-of-state player, enjoys playing against the best junior players to hone his polo skills. McLean competed in both the PTF March Challenge and Buzz Welker Memorial.

About the Polo Training Foundation

Since 1967, the Polo Training Foundation has been committed to excellence in the great sport of polo. The PTF supports polo training at all levels by providing funds for the development of current and future generations of players and umpires. The Foundation’s many programs include beginner clinics designed to teach young people the principles of polo and international player exchanges. Through its activities, the PTF seeks to encourage the highest standards of sportsmanship and to promote international good will through polo competition. For more information the website at: www.polotraining.org.

Wellington, FL – March 22, 2015 – Audi triumphed over Orchard Hill 16-15 in overtime Sunday to win the 2015 USPA Piaget Gold Cup in the featured match on Engel & Völkers field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). It marked the second time Audi has clinched the Gold Cup, having won in 2011, also at IPC.

Gonzalito Pieres and his mount, Rosparita, were recognized for their stellar play in the 2015 final. Pieres, who made the winning goal aboard the mare, was named MVP. Rosparita, who Pieres also played in the second and sixth chukkers, received the Best-Playing Pony award for the match. The Horse of the Tournament award went to Jackie, Polito Pieres’ mount in the fourth chukker.

It all came down to a penalty shot – and the dead-eye aim of Gonzalito Pieres – to seal the deal for Audi. In an overtime fraught with more anxiety than the stands seemed able to contain, Pieres slammed in his tenth goal, taking the win with authority.

It was a déjà vu moment for Audi, which had also won the 2011 Gold Cup in overtime on a penalty shot by a Pieres. That time it was Nico Pieres, whose slot was filled this year by Freddie Mannix. Other than that, Audi’s lineup was the same Sunday as it had been in its 2011 win.

With just four seconds left in regulation play, Facundo Pieres stole the ball and tied the game at 15-all. Then came the clincher. Audi won the throw-in, but Andrade lost control of the ball. Ganzi snagged it and shot an immediate pass to Mannix, who played a very effective and aggressive number 4 throughout the match. Polito Pieres stole the ball from Mannix. The whistle sounded, with a penalty three awarded to Audi. Orchard Hill challenged the call, and officials reviewed the play on instant replay (provided by horseplay.tv, which live-streamed the game) for what felt to spectators like an eternity. Then came the ruling, which everyone knew in all likelihood would dictate the outcome of the tournament: The foul stood. Game over.

The match had begun 1-0 for Audi because of its handicap in the 26-goal tournament. For the first few chukkers both teams played very tight, almost on top of each other, to keep the opposing team from getting the line. At the end of the first chukker Audi was leading 3-1, with all the goals on the board Pieres points (Gonzalito and Facundo). The two brothers peppered the scoreboard with more points in the second. Gonzolito Pieres pulled off two equally amazing consecutive plays. In the first he jumped on a bouncing ball, bought himself some time on the outside of the pack and made a single slick shot straight into goal. In the next play he stole the ball from his cousin, Polito Pieres, and worked it on both sides of his pony. Going full tilt boogie, it looked like he was on the verge of losing the ball, but in a flash he reached back and made a pinpoint pass to Mannix, who ran it into goal.

Both teams seemed apprehensive and remained heavy on the defense until about three-quarters of the way into the third chukker, when things started to loosen up. The first half ended 8-6 for Audi. Facundo Pieres went on a scoring frenzy in the fourth, racking up four points and bringing Orchard Hill into a slim lead for the first and only time in the game. Andrade made a neckshot, and Mannix jumped on the line. Riding a gray speed stick, he poured it on, passing three, then four, then five players and running the ball straight into goal. From that point on, the score swapped back and forth between a tie and a one-point lead, which Audi stretched to two in the fifth and sixth chukkers. Gonzalito Pieres promptly did it again for Audi, but Polito and Facundo Pieres came right back with three goals – the last of which, courtesy of Facundo Pieres, tied the game at 15-all with just four seconds left in regulation play.

How did it feel going into overtime?

“Our hands were around our own neck,” said Mannix with a laugh as he pretended to choke himself. “It would have been hard to not win this game being up by two with a minute and 40 to go, but Polito’s an amazing player and he made a great play, and Facundo made an incredible goal there at the end.” He gave a nod toward Gonzolito Pieres. “We’re just lucky that we have a great player here – Gonzolito made it look easy at the end. What a game!”

Gonzolito Pieres said he found it “a bit frustrating the way that we had the game nearly won with a penalty five, and I had possession of the ball and Polito took it and they tied the game. It was important that we won the last throw-in and came back. We believe in the team. We tried to open up the game, and we did it well.”

Ganzi was thrilled with the outcome. “It feels amazing!” he said. “We’ve worked so hard for the last three years to get back to this place.” He attributed Audi’s win to “the whole organization, from Melissa (his wife), to the horses, to the fields, to the players, to making the plan with Gonzolito and Freddie back in August. It’s a dream. We fought really hard to get back here, and it means a lot to the whole organization. It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work and keeping to our dream.

“This team showed a lot of heart today. We stayed really disciplined and compact in our defense. We didn’t give them a lot. You really have to play every minute of the game against Facundo and Polito.”

Ganzi had awoken Sunday morning not knowing whether he would be playing in the final. Four days ago he injured his shoulder in the semifinals, and his son, Grant Ganzi, subbed in. The 16-year-old remained on deck Sunday in case he was needed again.

“I hit a few balls at 9:30 this morning to see how my arm was, and it felt OK,” said Marc Ganzi. He periodically reassessed his condition, not making the final decision to play until about 15 minutes before the game.

Both Audi and Orchard Hill came into the final undefeated. “That’s a great team,” said Ganzi of his opponents. “They played amazing. They’re champions. They’re the team to beat here, still. The U.S. Open’s going to go through them; we know it.”

Coca-Cola Runs the FieldDefeats Lechuza Caracas 14-11

Coca-Cola defeated Lechuza Caracas 14-11 in the final of the Engel & Völkers Tesoro Cup. Gillian Johnston was awarded Most Valuable Player and Pelon Stirling’s sixth chukker mount Renato was presented with Best Playing Pony.

Pelon Stirling and Nico Pieres

Coca-Cola took control of the game from the very first throw-in, immediately making a run to goal and playing their signature passing game to score the first goal of the game. Gillian Johnston made the first of several blazing fast runs to drive a goal in from a pass from Sugar Erskine and make the score 2-0. A penalty conversion from Pelon Stirling and an amazing pick from Johnston ended the first chukker with Coca-Cola firmly in the lead.

Two more unanswered goals had Coca-Cola leading 6-0 in the beginning of the second chukker. A penalty shot by Julio Arellano was blocked by Nico Pieres who shot a pass to Juan Martin Nero. Nero went on the run and put the first goal up on the board for Lechuza Caracas.

A penalty conversion by Arellano made the score 7-1. In what was the play of the game, Arellano had possession of the ball in traffic and Erskine made a perfectly timed hook on the defending Lechuza Caracas player to allow Arellano to drive the ball through the uprights. At that point Lechuza Caracas took off on a scoring spree, making four unanswered goals to end the half 8-5.

Two penalty conversions by Lechuza Caracas put them within one goal of Coca-Cola at the beginning of the fourth chukker. Arellano thought otherwise, and scored two goals in rapid succession. To start off the fifth chukker, Erskine picked Agustin Garcia Grossi and flipped the ball into the goal to make the score 11-7.

Coca-Cola’s passing game came into play. Arellano sent Stirling a pass. Stirling drove the ball to Johnston, who sealed the deal. Lechuza Caracas took a page from Coca-Cola’s book. Nero passed to Victor Vargas. Vargas took the ball through traffic, flipped it to Pieres who finished the job to end the fifth chukker 12-8.

A breakaway by Johnston increased Coca-Cola’s lead to five goals, but Lechuza Caracas turned on the heat to bring them within two goals. A final goal by Stirling with a minute left in the match created an insurmountable lead, and Coca-Cola ended the game 14-11.

Arellano credited Johnston’s speed and accuracy for their win.

“Our MVP put us in the lead today and we just had to maintain it,” said Arellano with a smile. “She (Johnston) was on fire today.”

Stirling felt that this game was a good warm-up for the U.S. Open, which begins on Saturday, March 28.

“We were a little bit unlucky in the [USPA Piaget] Gold Cup. We lost the penalty shootout with Lechuza Caracas and Valiente,” said Stirling. “Our last game was quite a while ago, so it was good for us to get a good run in before next weekend when the Open starts to kind of wake up again and get into a game rhythm.”

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL – March 18, 2015 – With both of Wednesday’s semifinal matches ending 13-12, Orchard Hill defeated Alegria in overtime and Audi bested Las Monjitas in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club (IPC).

Try to imagine being 16 years old and getting the news that you have to play in the prestigious 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup Final – and you have just three days to get ready.

Welcome to Grant Ganzi’s world. In the fifth chukker of Wednesday’s semifinals between Audi and Las Monjitas, he suddenly found himself having to sub into the number one position for Audi, which went on to defeat the powerful Las Monjitas team 13-12. His father, Marc Ganzi, had been playing the position – and playing it extremely well – until he injured his shoulder.

“I had never been in a situation like this in my life,” said Grant Ganzi, a junior at St. Andrew’s School. “There was a lot of pressure on my back, and it was really hard. Going in cold is never easy, but I had to be here and be ready. I’ve been ready for three months in case, God forbid, something should happen to my dad. When he fell off, I knew I had to do it, and mentally I couldn’t let it get to me.”

If it did, it certainly didn’t show. Grant Ganzi did a masterful job of controlling his nerves as he held his own on the field with the top players in the world. The match was power polo at its ultimate.

The game opened with an automatic point for Audi based on its 25-goal handicap. Two goals by Gonzalito Pieres and one each by Facundo Sola and Sebastian Merlos brought Audi into a 3-2 lead in the first chukker. In the first 30 seconds of the second chukker, Sola – who has a penchant for coming in hot out of nowhere – ran the ball down the field with supreme confidence as Merlos warded off a tribe of determined defenders. Sola slammed the ball through the goal posts, tying the score at 3-all, and followed up with two more goals in quick succession to move Las Monjitas into the lead. With 18 seconds left in the chukker, Fred Mannix tied the game at 5-all.

In what seemed like a flash, Las Monjitas shot into a two-point lead. In the first play of the third chukker, Pieres lost control of the ball to Sola, who made a run for the money and took a half-shot on goal. Pieres snatched the ball from the goalmouth, drawing a whistle. Las Monjitas picked up a point on a penalty one (to be followed by another in the next chukker). Eduardo Astrada scored on the subsequent shot, turning the initial play into a two-for-one for his team. He gave a repeat performance in the fourth chukker with five seconds left on the clock. Astrada was going for goal with Pieres in pursuit when the whistle blew, resulting in another Audi technical. Once again, Astrada made the goal, bringing Las Monjitas into a 10-7 lead.

Scoreless in the fourth chukker, Audi poured it on in the fifth and sixth, winning several throw-ins and making six more goals (all but one by Pieres). Las Monjitas came back with two goals (one by Sola and the other by Segundo Merlos, the other teenager in the match).

With two-and-a-half minutes left in the fifth chukker and Las Monjitas leading 11-9, Grant Ganzi found himself catapulted into the game, playing against another talented teenager, Segundo Merlos, both of them mixed in with a slew of professional powerhouses. Sola, an 8-goaler, made five goals total in the match, performing as skillfully as his 9-goalers teammates Astrada and Sebastian Merlos. Sola tied the game at 12-all with a minute-and-a-half left in the final chukker. A final penalty goal by Pieres topped off the day for Audi.

Segundo Merlos was playing in place of Camilo Bautista, a strategic repositioning on the part of Las Monjitas, which had lost 16-12 in bracket play against Audi last week.

“They played without Camilo, and they had a different tactic,” said Pieres. While Bautista normally doesn’t come to the ball after a hit, he said, “They were sending Segundo in when it was hit.” Also, he said, normally one of Audi’s best plays is made on the throw-in. “But they were blocking the field really well from us. They were dominating a bit in the beginning, and we weren’t playing our best polo. But we knew our team was set to be in the final.”

In Marc Ganzi’s view, it was a game well fought by both teams. “Kudos to them – they played a hell of a game,” he said. “They learned a lot from the last time they played us, and today they were ready to play.”

He added that he was proud of his son for subbing in for him. “Grant came in and played well, really poised. All season we’ve told him to be ready, and unfortunately today he got the call. But he was ready for it. He’s been playing great all season. Now he has three days to get ready, learn the horses and be super committed.”

After the match, he gave his son marching orders for the rest of the week: “You’ll get up at 5:30 in the morning, ride horses, go to school, and come home and ride more horses. We have three days to figure out which ones play best for you.”

Mannix, meanwhile, was still in the moment. He said he felt like he was floating. “You always want to be in the finals, and (being in) the final for the Gold Cup is amazing!” he said. “It was a good team effort. I’m very happy with the team and very happy with the horses – it was just a beautiful ending to a very tough game.”

Orchard Hill defeated Alegria Assist Card 13-12 in overtime in the semifinal of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

In the highly anticipated semifinal match-up of Alegria Assist Card against Orchard Hill, Alegria Assist Card leapt into action out of the first throw-in to drive the ball downfield for a goal attempt. After the shot went wide, Orchard Hill used every player to get the job done and score the first goal of the match. Facundo Pieres then converted to give Orchard Hill a 2-0 lead.

Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario and Sterling Giannico

Hilario Ulloa made an incredible defensive play, taking the ball out of the goalmouth with mere inches to spare and shot the ball downfield to Mariano Aguerre. Julian Mannix sealed the deal to end the first chukker 2-1. Aguerre and Ulloa continued to play on fire into the second chukker, making a breathtaking run to goal. Ulloa sank another goal before Ezequiel Ferrario fired back with a goal of his own to tie the score 3-3.

The game remained fraught with suspense in the third chukker with strong defensive plays on both sides. Mannix took advantage of a missed backshot to tap a goal in on the run and take the lead for Alegria Assist Card. Facundo Pieres completed another penalty conversion to tie the game again at the end of the third chukker.

Facundo Pieres showcased his penalty shooting skills to make the score 5-4 in favor of Orchard Hill, but Mannix had other ideas as he dodged defenders in the next play to score. A penalty one awarded to Alegria Assist Card put them in the lead momentarily. Polito Pieres went on a scoring streak, driving in back to back goals. Facundo Pieres solidified their lead by crushing a shot downfield to end the fourth chukker.

Ulloa kept Alegria Assist Card within striking distance with a goal, and in the next play, things got Western. A penalty against Alegria Assist Card was met with heated debate, ultimately resulting in a penalty two, which Facundo Pieres converted to make the score 9-7. Ferrario accelerated into a breakaway to receive a backshot pass from Facundo Pieres and score. Ulloa sank a penalty conversion to make the score 10-8. Polito Pieres ran the ball through heavy traffic to score and end the fifth chukker.

Alegria Assist Card got busy in the sixth chukker, with Mannix and Aguerre assisting Ulloa in sequential goals. Mannix took the ball nearly end to end to tie the score 11-all. Facundo Pieres nabbed the ball out of the throw-in and demonstrated his incredible ball control down the field effortlessly sending it through the uprights to score. Ulloa responded with a run of his own to tie the game 12-12 and send it into overtime.

A penalty in favor of Alegria Assist Card seemed to foreshadow the conclusion of the match, but Orchard Hill had their ace in the hole. Polito Pieres stole the ball and drove downfield with the ball seemingly glued to the end of his mallet. He tapped the ball in with authority to score. With that goal Orchard Hill advanced to the final of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup.

For patron Steve Van Andel, all of their team’s energy was focused on winning today’s match.

“I haven’t even thought of [the final]. I was just thinking about today,” said Van Andel.

For Facundo Pieres, seeing his teammate/cousin score the final goal was thrilling.

“The last goal that Polito made, it was amazing,” said Facundo Pieres.

The 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup Final will be the 3 p.m. featured match at IPC, March 22, preceded by the Tesoro Cup subsidiary at noon. The 18-goal Liberty Cup Final takes place Thursday, March 19 at noon at IPC.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL – March 12, 2015 – Three exciting matches and a penalty shootout took place at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) as play continued Thursday in the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup. Valiente defeated Coca-Cola 12-8, with both sides of the field so lined with vehicles and spectators that it looked like a Sunday feature match minus the grandstand. Audi bested Las Monjitas 16-12 and Orchard Hill took Lechuza Caracas 12-11.

Alejo Taranco looked at Bob Jornayvaz after the game and came out with the understatement of the season: “I felt like we clicked more today.”

“Clicked” doesn’t even begin to describe the 42 minutes of synchronicity the four Valiente players displayed. Their playbook looked like it had been choreographed by Martha Graham. With the hand (if not the mallet) of megastar Adolfo Cambiaso in nearly every play, Valiente’s action was cohesive beyond belief.

All the way until the final chukker, the score was either tied or separated by a point. Although the action on the field was fast, the game began in fits and starts, with seven whistles in the first chukker. Cambiaso put increasing pressure on Julio Arellano in the second chukker, every now and then charging down the field glued to Arellano’s hip. The two intermittently took turns throwing a hook on each other and otherwise mixing it up.

Arellano was by no means the only recipient of Cambiaso’s attention. The game soon turned into a battle of the Titans between the two 10-goalers. Cambiaso had Pelon Sterling in his crosshairs from the get-go, and vice versa. They seemed to read each other’s plays as though looking through crystal balls (not surprising, given that three years ago they played on a Valiente team together). In the second chukker Cambiaso took the shot on a penalty three, making a 40-yard drive with spot-on accuracy – only to be thwarted by Sterling, who blocked it from cruising into goal. The two tangled again in the third chukker, when Sterling rode Cambiaso off the ball and made a dropshot direct to the mallet of Erskine, who scored.

In a textbook example of how to play polo at its pinnacle, Sterling tied the game at 4-all in the third chukker. After finagling the ball away from Cambiaso and company, he surveyed the field while on the fly aboard a full-steam-ahead gray. The moment a window cracked open, he took a shot from at least 80 yards out and easily found the goal.

For most of the first half, Taranco had been assigned to cover Sterling, with Guillermo Terrera on Erskine. A midgame powwow with Cambiaso resulted in a strategic shift that paid off in spades for Valiente. At the master’s direction, Taranco and Terrera swapped targets for the rest of the game, a move that seemed to keep Coca-Cola guessing how long it was going to last.

The fourth chukker saw renewed Cambiaso-Arellano friction, with one or the other trying to pressure his opponent into a foul (a skill that Cambiaso has nearly branded). One of their more intense skirmishes resulted in an automatic goal on a penalty one, which broke the tie and gave Coca-Cola a 5-4 lead.

Valiente had to regain ground, and Taranco came through for his team with two consecutive goals, the first on a penalty. Then he scored from the field on a play that showed the prowess of both teams. It began with Gillian Johnston slickly picking off Cambiaso’s backshot. He swooped in, took it back in his claws and toyed with it for a bit, leaving his opponents puzzling over what he had in store. Suddenly the ball was hurtling through the air toward goal, and just as quickly Erskine dispatched himself to stop it. Taranco, who had been waiting in the wings, read the play perfectly. He redirected the ball out of Erskine’s self-appointed danger zone and tapped it into goal.

Coca-Cola stormed into the fifth chukker determined to get the upper hand. In a smooth-as-silk series of touches, the ball sailed directly from Sterling to Arellano to Johnston and straight into goal to tie the score 6-all. Then it was Erskine’s turn to score for the team in red. On a determined run, he checked over his shoulder for a split second and then snapped his head forward, turned the corner, moved inside and slammed the ball into goal. (Announcer Gus Whitelaw said it looked like Erskine had looked back to ask, “Who’s there?” and answered himself, “Who cares?” as he smoked on.)

Erskine perpetually made himself the bane of Valiente’s existence. That came as no surprise to the team in white, nor did the strength of Coca-Cola as a unit. As Taranco said of his opponents, “We knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be easy. They play simple and classic polo, and they do it very well.”

It all came down to the final chukker, which began tied at 8-all. The game could just as easily have gone in Coca-Cola’s favor, but Valiente pulled the rug out from under their opponents. Cambiaso was at the controls from the moment the chukker opened until the final horn. He scored two goals, followed by one each by Taranco and Bob Jornayvaz. Those four goals went unanswered by Coca-Cola.

“We had a very good sixth chukker, which we needed,” said Taranco. “And we have Adolfo! He made a big difference in how the game ended.”

The quarterfinals of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup will be held Sunday, March 15 at IPC. Alegria plays Valiente at noon and Las Monjitas faces Lechuza Caracas in the 3 p.m. featured match on Engel & Völkers field.

Orchard Hill Hangs Tough to Defeat Lechuza Caracas

Orchard Hill vanquished Lechuza Caracas 12-11 in a nail biter to garner an undefeated record in USPA Piaget Gold Cup bracket play at International Polo Club Palm Beach. Facundo Pieres scored the final goal to secure the win just before the last horn. Facundo had nine goals in the match to outscore all players, including his brother Nico who trailed him with eight goals scored.

Ezequiel Martinez Ferrario and Nico Pieres

The third round match had strategic importance for both teams. Orchard Hill entered the match with a 2-0 record and had the goal in mind of securing the top spot in Bracket II and the bye to the semifinals. Lechuza wanted to win to avoid a shootout scenario that could potentially lead to elimination from the tournament.

Orchard Hill superstar Facundo Pieres emphasized the significance of the win, “It was important to win and go straight to the semifinal. We have played a lot of polo, first with the C. V. Whitney final, then we played hard against Lechuza and Coca Cola. It would have been very hard on our horses to play a quarter this weekend in the heat.”

The first half had a lot of quick runs to goal and great teamwork from each team. It also featured some great defense especially from Lechuza’s 10-goal player Juan Martin Nero. Nero played stellar defense against the normally invincible Facundo Pieres, it took Facundo until almost the end of the second chukker to get a goal from the field

After a steeply angled cut shot to goal from the corner by Nero in the first chukker, Lechuza in turn struggled to evade the quick sticks of Orchard Hill. Fortunately for Lechuza, Nico Pieres was shooting his penalties with authority. Nico Pieres was perfect on his penalties including three first half penalty four conversions from the 60 yard line. Thanks to the accuracy of Nico Pieres, Lechuza rode off the field at halftime with a slim 6-5 lead.

Orchard Hill found another realm of speed after the halftime break. Polito and Facundo Pieres teamed up for three flying goals from the field, outrunning Lechuza throughout the chukker. But they couldn’t outrun the steady penalty shooting of Nico Pieres, who continued his perfect performance from the penalty line to the match tied at 8 all.

Orchard Hill briefly took the lead in the fifth as Facundo Pieres won the initial lineup and darted to goal, Nico countered with his first field goal to keep the score tied 9 all.

As temperatures soared on the sultry day, so did the tension level heading into the sixth chukker. The teams traded goals, neither team willing to give an inch. First Nero scored, then Facundo converted a penalty four. Agustine Grossi won a lineup close to goal for a quick shot, only to see Polito dribble the ball through the pack to tie it back up at 11 all. With 1:19 left in the chukker, Orchard Hill was awarded a penalty 5 near mid field. Facundo went to the sidelines for his spare, which was C. V. Whitney Best Playing Pony NutraSweet. The agile mare carried Facundo around the Lechuza defenders, got him back to the ball after a Lechuza back shot, and Facundo and NutraSweet swept through the goal to make the score 12-11 for Orchard Hill just before the end of the chukker.

“That game was not easy. They were super tough!” exclaimed Orchard Hill captain Steve van Andel after the match. “They didn’t let up much. We finally had to start shooting from farther away and it worked, we pulled it out in the end.”

Orchard Hill will be fine-tuning their semifinal strategy this weekend while the quarterfinal teams battle it out on Sunday, March 15 at International Polo Club for the right to play them.

Audi Plays the Game Wide-OpenDefeats Las Monjitas 16-12

Audi defeated Las Monjitas 16-12 in bracket play for the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The match started out with Audi in the lead 1-0 due to handicap, but Las Monjitas did not let it ride for long. After shots by both teams went wide, Las Monjitas warmed up and got down to business. Camilo Bautista scored the first goal of the match on the field, tying the score briefly before Facundo Sola and Sebastian Merlos went on a scoring spree for the remainder of the chukker, ending it 4-1.

Merlos and Sola started out the second chukker in the same fashion, scoring two more goals within the first minutes. However, the tide began to turn as Marc Ganzi drove the ball up field for Rodrigo Andrade to tap in. A foul in the goalmouth had Audi awarded a penalty one, and Fred Mannix hit a backshot for Gonzalito Pieres that brought Audi within three points of Las Monjitas.

Audi took advantage of the situation and took the bull by the horns, rapidly scoring two more goals to make the score 6-5. Another foul in the goalmouth resulted in a second penalty one for Audi, and Mannix sealed the second goal with a backshot Audi to take the lead 7-6. Two more penalty conversions before the end of the second chukker put Audi firmly in the lead 9-6 going into the third chukker.

Both teams fought valiantly to score in the third chukker, but shot after shot went wide in what seemed like a wide streak of la mala leche, or bad luck. Pieres managed to make one penalty conversion before the half, increasing Audi’s lead to 10-6 at halftime. Las Monjitas rallied with a penalty conversion to start off the fourth chukker, but Pieres drove in an answering conversion to maintain Audi’s four-goal lead.

Las Monjitas continued to chip away at Audi’s lead, with Audi responding with goals of their own. The chukker ended 12-9. Merlos tapped in a goal while evading defenders to bring his team within two at the beginning of the fifth chukker. Pieres racked up another penalty conversion, and Andrade made the shot of the game, taking the ball from Audi’s backfield all the way down field and sinking a cut shot from 70 yards out. Ganzi drilled in a goal on the run to end the fifth chukker 15-10.

The sixth chukker started similarly to the third with wide shots on both sides, but Andrade delivered the knockout punch with a breakaway goal to put one up on the scoreboard for Audi. Bautista charged down the field and tapped a goal in for Las Monjitas to make the score 16-11. A final safety penalty conversion by Merlos ended the match 16-12.

Audi patron Ganzi credited his team’s strategy for their success.

“That was a tough team we beat today,” said Ganzi. “They play a very specific brand of polo and it’s very effective. We spent the first chukker looking at them and looking at the ball. We weren’t looking at the man. Once we spread them, we could cut the angles. If you can spread all four guys out, you create space and you have openings.”

Pieres felt that the time between this game and the semi-finals was a welcome relief for everyone.

“I think it will be good for [the horses] to rest this weekend because we have been playing Thursday through Sunday,” said Pieres. “It will be good for everybody – and the horses too.

Lechuza and Valiente Take Advantage of a Second Chance to Advance to USPA Piaget Gold Cup Quarterfinals

Sharpshooters Nico Pieres and Adolfo Cambiaso were perfect and nearly perfect from the penalty line to advance their teams through the penalty shootout tiebreaker to the USPA Piaget Gold Cup quarterfinals.

By virtue of the 1-2 tie in Bracket II in which all three teams had beaten each other, Coca-Cola, Lechuza Caracas and Valiente found themselves settling the tie with penalties. Earlier in the day, Lechuza suffered a heartbreaking loss at the last second to Orchard Hill, while Valiente edged out Coca-Cola in the last chukker to get their first win of the tournament and arrive at the shootout. The winner and runner-up of the shootout advances to the quarterfinals, with the winner playing a lower ranked team from the other bracket. The third place team does not advance. Each team sent their best penalty shooter to shoot penalties and face the pressure.

Nico Pieres began, followed by Adolfo Cambiaso, then Julio Arellano. Players shoot in the same order throughout the shootout. All three players nailed the initial penalty attempt from the 40 yards line.

The next step was penalty attempts from the 60 yards line. In a game, the 60-yard penalty four is defended, in a shootout tiebreaker it is not. Pieres split the goal posts on his attempt, Cambiaso followed with a successful conversion as well. Arellano walked up to the ball, concentrating hard, swung and the ball veered left of the goal. Pieres and Cambiaso breathed sighs of relief.

With Lechuza and Valiente qualified for the quarterfinals at this point, the pressure was reduced as Pieres and Cambiaso continued to shoot from the 60-yard line for bracket position. Both were supremely accurate through the next two shots. After Pieres’ fourth 60-yard attempt went straight through the goal, Cambiaso’s fourth 60-yard shot veered off course.

Nico Pieres found redemption for his Lechuza team in the tiebreaker after their loss earlier in the day to Orchard Hill. “We were unlucky against Orchard Hill, and we did not play a good game against Coca-Cola, but I think we deserve to be in these quarterfinals.” He was also perfect for the day, in both the game and the tiebreaker, on his penalty shots. “I have been practicing a lot the last week, because in the 20 goal I wasn’t hitting the penalties well. I have been practicing a lot with Milo and doing better,” referring to Milo Fernandez Araujo, the coach for Lechuza Caracas.

For the quarterfinals of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup Valiente plays Alegria at noon and Lechuza Caracas squares off against Las Monjitas at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

LIBERTY CUP
The 18-goal Liberty Cup resumes Friday, March 13 at IPC.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Wellington, FL – March 8, 2015 – Sunday was a cauldron of excitement at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC), with four high-stakes matches in the 26-goal USPA Piaget Gold Cup. Audi defeated Engel & Völkers 11-7; Alegria was victorious over Las Monjitas 9-8, and Coca-Cola clinched a 10-8 win over Lechuza Caracas.

In the featured match on Engel & Völkers field, Orchard Hill pushed ahead of Valiente to win 14-12. Ezequiel Ferrario was named Most Valuable Player. The Best Playing Pony award went to Jackie, owned by Las Machitos. The horse carried Polito Pieres to his five goals in the pivotal fourth chukker. This was Orchard Hill’s second 26-goal tournament win on the Engel & Völkers field. The team was awarded the C. V. Whitney Cup one week ago.

If polo was a card game, and you knew the deck had a pair of Piereses and a Cambiaso in it, how would you play your hand?

That was the question of the day on Engel & Völkers field Sunday. The answer kept changing from chukker to chukker, as the three 10-goalers took turns being the wild card. (That includes Polito Pieres, who is rated 10 in Argentina and may be on the bullet train to the same destination in this country.)

Between the two of them, the Pieres cousins scored an astounding 13 goals for Orchard Hill, with the team’s other point made by patron Steve Van Andel. Valiente’s scoring was more evenly spread out, as often is the case. All four teammates made goals, with the most (four) courtesy of Adolfo Cambiaso.

Even though it held the Cambiaso card – and played it to its advantage – it soon became clear that for Valiente the game was going to be about containing Facundo Pieres. Cambiaso kept after him nonstop, escalating the pressure throughout the match. At times the game was as physical as it was mental, with an occasional smattering of whistles, bumps and vocalizations punctuating the play.

That came as no surprise to anyone, least of all Van Andel. “Whenever you have the best players in the world going against each other, it’s going to be a tough game – and it was,” he said. “These are all tough teams, but Valiente is super tough.”

Nonetheless, Orchard Hill kept its opponents at bay, with Valiente trailing by a point for the first two chukkers. Valiente perked up in the third, with Alejo Taranco putting on some serious hustle to make a goal. Cambiaso followed that up, tying the game at 6-all at the end of the first half.

As Polito Pieres noted, “It was a very tough first half. We were tied, and neither one of the teams wanted to lose.”

That came into hyper focus as the second half opened. The vibe was on the verge of pandemonium as the Piereses went on a communal scoring frenzy. Polito Pieres owned the fourth chukker just about outright, scoring four consecutive goals within the first two minutes and adding a fifth point after Facundo Pieres contributed one. It remained a purely Pieres chukker, with Valiente completely shut down from scoring and Orchard Hill doubling its lead to 12-6.

How did that happen?

“I really don’t know,” said Facundo Pieres, shaking his head in amazement. “We came into a good momentum in the fourth chukker. Polito was unbelievable! He scored four goals in a row. We won all the throw-ins.”

In Van Andel’s estimation, “That fourth chukker was something else! We got a couple of good breaks, and then once you get the momentum you keep going, so it worked out.”

The fifth chukker was almost a mirror image of the fourth. This time Orchard Hill was scoreless and Valiente was the shot-caller, making four goals to tighten the gap to 12-10. A field goal and a penalty point by each team in the sixth chukker brought the final score to 14-12 for Orchard Hill.

Bracket play in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup will resume Wednesday at IPC, with Alegria taking on Engel & Völkers.

Alegria Means Happiness with a Win over Las Monjitas

Alegria overcame a midgame lapse in concentration to outscore Las Monjitas three goals to one in the sixth chukker for the win 9-8 in the second round of the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at International Polo Club. The win for Alegria equalized their record at 1-1 for the tournament.

Facundo Sola, Sterling Giannico, Camilo Bautista and Mariano Aguerre

Alegria lost their first round match in the USPA Piaget Gold Cup in a vocal game against Audi. Mariano Aguerre, who scored the game-winning goal today on a neck shot in the sixth chukker, was all smiles after the win. “We had a bad game against Audi; it is good to see that we are back on track. We enjoyed it today.”

Alegria started the match well, Hilario Ulloa scored with a run dribbling the ball between defenders from midfield. Ulloa looked like a racecar driver weaving around highway cones as he made his way to goal between the neon orange-clad defenders. Aguerre added another goal on a broken play. Multiple players’ mallets shot in the air to appeal for the foul but Aguerre put his mallet down on the ball and scored. Las Monjitas scoreless throughout the first chukker, but Eduardo Novillo Astrada finally got a point on the board for the orange team when he muscled his way past the Alegria defender with a man on his hip trying fruitlessly to ride him off the ball. But despite some moments of brilliance, the first half produced few goals. Alegria led 4-2 at halftime.

Las Monjitas went on a scoring spree after the halftime break. Astrada gave his team a jolt with a high speed run to goal on a long legged gray mare. Facundo Sola kept the momentum flowing with two more field goals, supported by Camilo Bautista blocking out the defenders. Las Monjitas added a penalty two goal in the fourth for a 4-0 scoring run. At the conclusion of the fourth chukker Las Monjitas was in proud possession of a two- goal lead and the Alegria players were looking bewildered at the sudden turn in events.

Ulloa commented after the match, “We just fell asleep! We were playing really well the first half. I think we did a great job, but then in the fourth chukker we just fell asleep and they were scoring easy goals and winning the throw-ins.”

Alegria clawed their way back into contention in the fifth chukker and headed into the sixth chukker only down by one goal with Las Monjitas leading 7-6.

With their backs against the wall and facing elimination from the tournament if they lost, Alegria found a spark with a goal by Julian Mannix, assisted by a pinpoint pass from Sterling Giannico. Giannico added another goal to give Alegria the lead at 8-7. With plenty of time left in the chukker, Aguerre solidified the win by adding another goal, a smart move from the Alegria field general as Las Monjitas was awarded a penalty two at the end of the chukker. Final score was 9-8 in favor of Alegria.

Alegria faces Engel & Völkers in the third round, do or die Piaget Gold Cup match for both teams on Wednesday, March 11 at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Audi Takes the WheelDefeats Engel & Völkers 11-7

Audi defeated Engel & Völkers 11-7 in bracket play for the Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Engel & Völkers leapt into action right from the start and Kris Kampsen scored first goal of the game with lightening accuracy. Fred Mannix quickly responded by running in a goal for Audi, setting the tone early for Audi’s fast-paced play. Both teams were evenly matched, riding hard and showcasing the speed and athleticism of their mounts.

In the second chukker, Audi took control of the match, with back-to-back goals scored by Rodrigo Andrade and Gonzalito Pieres. Pieres proved to be lethal from the penalty line, converting sequential penalty shots to confirm Audi’s lead 5-1. Mannix rocketed out of the bowl-in to score the final goal of the chukker 6-1.

After several wide goal attempts by Mariano Gracida (substituting for Jared Zenni), Santi Torres succeeded in gaining some ground by scoring with a cut shot through traffic. Then Kampsen surged into a breakaway to put Engel & Völkers three goals behind at the end of the end of the half.

Torres took advantage of broken play by Audi to drive a goal in and make the score 6-4. The game slowed down at this point, with players in close contact and fighting for position on every play. Kampsen began the fifth chukker strongly, adding another goal to Engel & Völkers’ tally and placed the team within striking distance at 6-5. But Pieres converted with a lofted neck shot, and Audi pulled away from Engel & Völkers with a two-goal lead.

Andrade made what was undoubtedly the shot of the game, a giant lofted neck shot to goal that brought the score to 8-5. From there, Audi simply dominated the game, scoring three unanswered goals to cement their lead 11-5. Matias Magrini tapped a goal in, and Carlitos Gracida made the final goal of the game to end the sixth chukker 11-7.

Mannix felt that Audi’s horsepower has played a large part in their success this season.

“I’ve got some super horses here this year, so it’s making a huge difference,” Mannix said. “All the players on this team do. If you look at the way Gonzalito [Pieres] is mounted, and Marc [Ganzi] is mounted very well, and Rodrigo [Andrade] is a beast – he’s got some very powerful, strong horses. I think the combination of everything together allows us to play in a way we want to play. We’re not feeling any external pressure how we should or shouldn’t play. It’s more like how we want to play.”

Audi patron Marc Ganzi is already looking ahead to Thursday, March 12 when Audi will go head to head with Las Monjitas at 10 a.m. at International Polo Club Palm Beach.

“We’ll watch some video tonight and see what we did right and what we did wrong,” said Ganzi. “Then we’ll practice probably on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we’ll have a practice team, FlexJet, who’ll sort of mimic what Las Monjitas is going to do. We’ll watch a little video on Wednesday night and get ready for a big game on Thursday. It’s a big game. If we win it, we win the bracket and we get to take next weekend off, which will be good for the horses.”

Coca-Cola defeated Lechuza Caracas in bracket play for the USPA Piaget Gold Cup at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Coca-Cola scored right away, with a conversion by Julio Arellano. With lightning speed and accuracy, Gillian Johnston accelerated into a breakaway and shot a pass to Pelon Sterling, who sent it to Sugar Erskine. Erskine drove it in to pull Coca-Cola ahead of Lechuza Caracas 2-0. A penalty conversion by Juan Martin Nero put Lechuza Caracas into contender status. Arellano took charge and scored his second goal of the match, making the score 3-1 at the end of the first chukker.

Johnston took off flat-out from the bowl-in, scoring again for Coca-Cola. Agustin Garcia Grossi dodged defenders to begin closing the gap 4-2. Sterling hit a strong backshot to Erskine, who sealed the deal with a neck shot. Victor Vargas scored his first goal of the game, swiftly pulling Lechuza Caracas along to make the score 5-3. Sterling hit a penalty five from the point of the infraction, shooting a pass to Arellano, who maneuvered through traffic to score. Garcia Grossi ran the ball into the goal mouth to score the last point of the second chukker and make the score 6-4.

The third chukker was a battle of wills, with both teams making numerous wide attempts on goal. A challenge by Coca-Cola on ball placement awarded resulted in a penalty four, which Arellano converted with a lofted shot to make the score 7-4. Arellano continued his streak from the penalty line in the fourth chukker, trotting up to take the penalty shot and doubling Coca-Cola’s lead to 8-4. Garcia Grossi followed up his cutshot by tapping the ball in to chip away for Lechuza Caracas.

Nico Pieres followed up Garcia Grossi’s efforts with a penalty conversion, walking up to the ball in his signature style. Garcia Grossi once again put the ball through the uprights in traffic, ending the fourth chukker 8-7. Coca-Cola came out guns blazing in the fifth chukker, with every member of the team touching the ball before Erskine put it into the goal. Erskine won the bowl-in and made a beautiful run down field to score, with Johnston assisting by taking out the defender.

Nero took advantage of a Coca-Cola miscue, shooting a pass to Vargas, who drove it in for a goal. The sixth chukker was fraught with big runs and goal attempts, but no points were scored. Coca-Cola ultimately got the better of Lechuza Caracas, and the match ended 10-8.

Erskine said he considered the game a close call but said it still had the element of fun that Coca-Cola’s play is known for. “We had fun, and obviously it was close enough to where it could have gone either way,” he said.

Arellano attributed Coca-Cola’s success to solid teamwork by each of its players. “Everybody played really, really well, especially Sugar,” he said. “He came out and played great defense today right off the bat, and that was key. Everybody else did their part, and did what they were supposed to do.”

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left